as president reagan left the washington hilton one day, shots rang out hitting a washington police officer, thomas delahante in the neck, the president's press secretary, jim brady, was shot in the forehead. the bullet passed through his brain, leaving an exit wound in the back of his head. in 1991, president reagan told a story about his shooting. he wrote it supporting the brady bill, named after jim brady which imposed a national waiting period for purchasing handguns. i was lucky, wrote president reagan. the bullet that hit me bounced off a rib, and lodged in my lung. an inch from my heart. it was a very close call. twice they could not find my pulse. the last time congress considered an assault weapons ban, former president reagan supported it even though it was introduced by democratic senator diane feinstein and was opposed by most republicans. reagan co-wrote a letter with former presidents carter and ford to all members of the house of representatives, urging them to support "a ban on the domestic manufacture of military-style assault weapons." the three former presidents, one dem